


GWAINE

by EstyFur



Series: Just a Friend [3]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Family Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-29
Updated: 2016-03-29
Packaged: 2018-05-29 19:34:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6390382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EstyFur/pseuds/EstyFur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin thinks their new neighbour is great, Arthur hates him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	GWAINE

**Author's Note:**

> next chapter for my just a friend series. kudos and comment is really really welcomed :)
> 
> and thank you for my lovely proofreader DamaSedalar, that were very patient with my very forgetful self. thank you dear :)
> 
> well then, enjoy you reading :D

“oh, for .... Arthur, can you stop being a creep, and pull you face away from that window?!”

Arthur ignores Morgana’s torturous voice and narrows his eyes dangerously when he sees that sleazy guy throwing a flirtatious smirk at Merlin, and Merlin –his usually too shy around new people friend, Merlin- is smiling friendly back at him.

Arthur sees red.

“Arthur!” something that suspiciously feels like James’ plush toy is thrown at his head, and Arthur makes a reluctant noise and begrugingly prys his eyes away from his window and looks at his sister expectantly.

“what?” he spits at her, notting the way Morgana face changes from angry to annoyed, ammused, and then in the end she just sets on looking at him with her knowing smirk.

He raises his eyebrow at her, chalenging his sister to say whatever she thinks to him. Arthur should have known better.

“seriously baby brother, you are too obvious , it’s hillarious to watch you like this sometimes.” Morgana gives him a sastified smile, as if she just completed a very sastifying quest. Arthur just keeps ignoring her in favour to steal another glance toward the window. He releases a quite breath when he sees Merlin is alone now, tending to their flower bed. His greasy neighbour is nowhere in sight. Good.

Behind him, morgana is doing her usual evil cackle, probably just to irritate him further. Arthur just keeps ignoring her.

===

Latter that night after he put James to bed, Arthur is half laying on his bed, trying to focus into the book he is reading, when Merlin enters their room with a soft happy hum. Arthur gives up pretending to read the book –the boring book, he doesn’t event know why he decided to buy it in the first place-and look at his friend expectantly.

Arthur waits for his friend to recognise his stare, but Merlin just keeps on being oblivious and starts to strip his clothes, changing to his pajamas.

“soooo..... i didn’t know we have a new neighbour.” Arthur tries to relax his posture and wills his tone to be as light as he can, aiming to be nonchalant to whatever he is trying to say at Merlin.

“yeah... Gwaine.” Merlin answers, strugling to put his head in the right hole, after he succsefully pull his head in the pajamas collar, he smiles at Arthur easily. Arthur is trying to focus himself in Merlin’s words, but he can’t help himself to look a few seconds longer tan strictly necessary at Merlin’s mussed hair, notting the way that the strands are going wildly everywhere from his friend battle with his pajamas. “pretty awesome guy actually.”

Arthur snaps at Merlin’s compliment at the _sleaz_ -Gwaine, so the name is Gwaine-personality, narrowing his eyes by a millimeter at the fond smile in Merlin’s face.

“you say that as if you already know him well.” Merlin raises an eyebrow at Arthur’s slighty bitter tone, but he just shakes his head, thinking Arthur didn’t really mean the bitter note, and blaming it on his friend’s long working hours in his office latelly.

Merlin starts to strip down to his pant, bending his body to put on his pajama bottom. Arthur’s eyes crossed slightly when he see the way Merlin bending is making his bottom a full fiew for Arthur.

“well, not that long, since he’s just been here for two weeks. But, he is always so nice when we happen to meet, offering to help in here and there. Oh, and James seems to like him too...”

Arthur attention snaps back at his friend’s words, his eyes keep narrowing further.

“he has been here for two weeks? Why i didn’t know this?” Arthur is schooling his face into what he hopes is nonchalant hurriedly. he doesn’t know why, but hearing that that Gwaine guy has been familiar with his Merlin for two weeks without him knowing things makes his inside twist uncomfortably. He really doesn’t like it.

Merlin looks at him in amusement, making him feel a little annoyed at his friend. But he keeps his face as calm as possible and doesn’t show any kind of emotion in his face, going for the face he usually plasters when he is in one of his boring meetings.

“well, i didn’t expect you to. You have been very busy with work lately, coming home just for late dinner and then going straight to sleep, and then gone again in the morning.” Arthur remember all his late hours: he need to stay late to sign the deal with the potential client his father hand him last month. Silently, Arthur curses his father for putting that client in his hand, indirectly making him doing all that late hours and missing something really important in his home. _That Gwaine guy_.

“anyway, are you still doing those late hours?” Merlin looks at him with doe eyes, “it’s not like i hate it when you put that much time for your work, but James is missing you. He keeps asking when you are going to join us in our after dinner telly again.”

Thank god he had already completed that deal, he doesn’t need to stay late again starting from tomorrow, well not in the near future anyway. so he can start protecting his oblivious innocent friend and apparently his son too, from the sleazy Gwaine guy.

“Arthur!” Arthur snap his head to look at his friend, Merlin looking at him as if he is waiting for something. He is rushing to remember his friend question, panicking at Merlin narrowing gaze.

“oh, yeah! No more late hours again, i will be home early from tomorrow on.”

The smile Merlin gives him from his reply is so sweet, it makes Arthur forgive him instantly for all his past and future wrong deeds on him.

Arthur moves aside in a more comfortable position on the bed, making room for Merlin. His friend dims the bedroom light and then he tucks himself in comfortably beside Arthur, ready to fall asleep after the long day.

Arthur smiles softly watching Merlin, he pulls Merlin closer to him, and tucking his friend comfortably in his arms, he gets ready to be asleep himself, but then he remembers something.

“wait. Merlin, are you wearing my pajamas?”

===

Arthur pulls his car in his driveway slowly, beside him in the passenger seat James is happily playing with his new superhero toy that he and Merlin buy for him just yesterday. A possible headache is throbbing behind his eyes, a remnant from his stress in his office. Like this, he really is looking forward to be back in his home’s comfort, basking on Merlin’s endless care, he misses his friend smile.

He smiles thriumpathly when his car finally stopped and starts to rush to get out from his car, getting James out as fast as he can and feeling like urging his son to get to the front door faster, not like James needs his encouragement by how fas his son making a bee line to their front door, can’t wait to be back to his Merlin again.

“Merlin! I’m home!” James throw the front door open roughly and throw his backpack in random, his small feet is rushing toward the kitchen where Merlin is usually doing his writing.

He looks at his son back sourly, looking at the random mess he made in his way toward the kitchen, knowing that Merlin will be mad by the mess Jamie make. He sighs, then starts to pick up the nearest object to him, the backpack. He want to be back home to the sweet Merlin, not the grumbly Merlin.

He can hear Merlin greeting to his son, followed by his son joyous laugh, there is also his friend light laught there, making Arthur forgetting his growing headache completely. But then a foreign voice is also laughing at whatever his son say, and some ugly churning feeling starts growing on his belly.

His stomach drops by the sigh that greet him on his kitchen. James is sitting on his friend’s lap, telling some bizzare story about his day in the the office with him, in front of them across the kitchen table that ~~sleaz~~ Gwaine guy is smiling sweetly at his son, urging him to keep telling them his story.

He straightens his posture and clear his thoat to get their attention.

“hey.” Merlin is smiling at him, calling him to get closer, that Gwaine is also smiling politely at him with an obviously different smile Arthur usually see him throwing at Merlin.

“hi.” He pull a chair closer to Merlin, and sit himself with a loud huff.

“tea and honey?” Merlin look at him once then he instantly lets James down on his feet, and starts making him his usual evening drink whenever Arthur get home tired from the office.

“yes, thanks.”

He doesn’t watch Merlin back like he would usually do, but he looks at the Gwaine guy expectantly. Daring the guy to make his sleazy move on his friend in Arthur vicinity.

Gwaine clears his throat uncomfortably, and flashes him with an awkward smile. Arthur just keeps lookig at him with a blank face.

“sooo....” Gwaine draws his voice and tries smiling again at him, “i don’t think we have been introduced already. Im Gwaine, your new next door neighbour.”

“i know.” He keeps looking at Gwaine with umblinking eyes, making the guy look at him skepticaly “i’m Arthur, this house owner, Merlin’s good friend, and James father.” Gwaine chuckling nervously at him, and throwing a nervous glance at Merlin’s back.

Arthur narrows his eyes at him even more.

Gwaine smiles awkwardly at him once more before Merlin is back again. He places the teacup infront of Arthur with a small smile, Arthur instantly drops his cold face, pulling his lips up to give his friend a grateful smile.

Gwaine clear his throat to get their attention.

“i think i have to go now, thanks for the tea Merlin.”

“oh, let me...” Merlin is already standing from his seat, but Gwaine shakes his head and smiles at him charmingly.

“no it’s okay. I can show myself out. It’s fine...”

“are you sure?”

“yea, sure.” Gwaine nods his head once at them and give an awkward wave when he happens to catch Arthur eyes.

“it was nice seeing you, Arthur.”

“likewise.”

Gwaine smiles at them once more, and then he is walking out from the kitchen with a hurried step, a few seconds later the sound of their front door closing echoes to their ears. Arthur releases an imaginary sigh in his hear at the sound, and makes a move to take his tea, but he stops himself at Merlin’s obvious stare.

“what?”

“don’t “what” me now Arthur, what was that with Gwaine?” Arthur plaster his most inocent face at Merlin, hopping his friend will drop the matter soon, he is not in the mood to talk about his greasy neighbour.

“i really don’t know what are you talking about Merl.” He sips his tea calmly and closes his eyes blisfully when a sweet taste of honey hitting his tastebuds. “God, what a long day.”

He releases a tired sigh, and instantly Merlin’s cool hands are in his neck and shoulders, trying to ease the knot forming from stress there.

“come on, go take a shower now, i will start preparing dinner.”

“Okay...” Arthur nod at Merlin’s word, and start to losening his tie. “come on Jamie, what about a bath with daddy?”

“okay... can we take spidey with us daddy? He wants to have a bath too...” James is looking at him with big pleading eyes, making both him and Merlin chuckle at his sons adorable act.

“sure, little man. Lets go.”

James takes his hand with his smaller finger, and starts pulling him toward the bathroom, can’t wait to give his toy it’s first bath.

====

“okay, now repeat to daddy what you have to do now.” Arthur is crouching infront of his son, they stare intently at each other for a few second more before James nods and opens his mouth to start repeating his father words.

“one, i ha-“ Arthur covers his son’s mouth one second after James starts shouting at the top of his lungs.

“stop, stop! Repeat it quietly, quietly Jamie!” James is starring at him with big doe blue eyes, and then nods in understanding. Arthur makes a shushing noise to emphasise his point.

“One, i can’t let Merlin meet Gwaine.” James is saying in whisphers now, but Arthur really doesn’t mind it, as long as their conversation wont be overheard by his friend.

“two, if Merlin ar... arrdd...”

“Already Jamie.” Arthur tell his son patiently, urging his son to continue.

“right, ahrrlready, if Merlin already met Gwaine with..whithout me knowing, i have to get Merlin away from Gwaine as soon as possible.”

Arthur nods approvingly at his son’s words, urging him to keep going.

“three, Merlin can’t know about this!”

James finishes his words with a thriumpath note, clearly proud that he can remember and say a lot of complicated words.

“thats right, this is your mission today. Don’t forget it okay?”

“okay.” James is nodding his head vigorously with a serious expression. “can i get my spidey back now daddy?”

Arthur sighs in defeat at his son pleading eyes, resigning himself to believe in James. James is his most trusted man in this world, well his most trusted man after Merlin and Leon anyway, but that is beside the point.

“breakfast is ready!” Arthur closes his eyes for a moment when he hears his friend’s cheerful voice from downstairs.

“yay!! Pancakes!!” James is snatching the spider-man toy from his hand and bounching on his steps to the kitchen.

“remember you mission, Jamie!!” Arthur whisper-scream at his son back. James stops his bouncing for a moment to give his father his tinny thumb up before he starts running toward his breakfast again.

Arthur keeps grinning trough his breakfast and his day in the office that day. Ignoring the staff and his sister’s bewildered stare all day.

===

Arthur is feeling fairly good when he gets home that evening, despite the throbbing pain behind his eyes and the crink in beetwen his shoulderblades, he wears a sastified smile when he remembers the promise with his son, making a promise with himself to buy another gift for his son, to reward the little man for being such a good boy.

He is just about to open his front door when a loud happy squeal catches his attention, followed by a loud laughter. He raises his eyebrow, trying to remember the familiarity of that laughter. Then it hits him when he remembers who the laughter belongs to, and at the same time Merlin quiet laughter echoes in his ears. He forces his head to look around him, slowly his feet moving to walk around his house to his backyard toward the source of the laughter, thats when he see his neighbour. That Gwaine guy is running around his backyard chasing his son with the new gun toy set he bough for James last week, his best friend sitting under the big tree they keep in the corner of their backyard. The three of them look so happy and their joyful laughter is piercing Arthur ears painfully.

Arthur tries to calm himself down when his eyes meet with that Gwaine guy, who offers a big smile at Arthur, gesturing for Arthur to join their fun act as if he is not in Arthur’s backyard, using Arthur’s son’s toy, and playing with his family as if he belonged there, Arthur returns Gwaine’s big smile with a vicious glare for a long minute until the big smile drops slowly to a hesistating one.

Arthur, entering his house with fast steps, slams the door behind him as hard as he can ignoring James’ yell for him and Merlin’s questioning look, his good mood suddenly gone in instant, and the building headache he felt a few minutes ago throbbing painfully behind his eyes.

He feels like shit.

====

So, James is definitely not a good comerade, he definitely lost his most trusted man position in Arthur’s book, and he is most definitely a traitor if yesterday’s events are not proof enough. But Jamie is still his son and Arthur definitely loves him unconditionally even if he is still a traitor (for whatever reason his son is becoming an unseperable friend with that Gwaine), thats why today he has decide he is going to comply his son’s all week pleading and take his family to the zoo.

Merlin is still packing their luch in the kitchen, and James is still running around trying to find the few toy they have allowed him to bring, thats why Arthur takes his time loading the few items they will need and Jamie’s back pack in his car.

“going somewhere?” Arthur glances at his back and he bits back a groan when he sees Gwaine’s sleazy smile.

“yeah.” Arthur slams his car door and looks at Gwaine impatiently when the guy keeps smiling to him.

“anything else, Gwaine?” he seems confused for a moment before his smile drops hesistantly. “no?”

Arthur nods curtly toward him and starts walking to his front door, ignoring Gwaine’s bewildered expression and the muttered ‘oookaaayy’ the guy says behind his back

===

So, Arthur is really confused and somewhat annoyed at fate, or anything that make him have strange encounters with his neighbour at random places even with Arthur’s great effort to avoid the guy. Two days ago he met the guy when he was running errands, a week before that he bumped into the guy when he was on his way to meet a client. It is not easy for Arthur to see the guy smiling freely at him whenever their eyes meet when at home he is continuosly bombarded by the tales about the guy’s awesomeness by his son and his best friend. Arthur is not jealous, mind you. He is just annoyed that a stranger is slowly worming his way into his family, he doesn’t like it. So, he really can’t help it whenever he meets the guy he always has a scrowl in his face.

He is most definitely not _jealous_.

Arthur glances at his watch impatiently, walking faster towards his building with a growing impatience. His meeting with his father hasn’t gone very well today and Arthur needs some time alone outside and away from his sister’s knowing eyes and his employees’ fearful glances. He has been hard on them lately, Arthur wants to apologise to them, but sometimes he need to be this hard man towards his subordinates just so their work will be done like it should be. He is about to take a turn when he bumps into another body

“oh my... i’m sorry” the girl he bumped into is gaping like a fish at him, her coffee cup opened and the coffee is splashed at her hand, thats when he realizes there is a big coffe stain forming in his jacket.

“i’m so sorry.... it’s so silly of me”

“no it’s...”

“El, what’s...”

Arthur wants to groan out loud when he sees the annoyingly familiar face infront of him, cursing his luck, or fate , or whatever that always bring him to bump into this guy.

“Gwaine.” Arthur nods curtly at him when Gwaine looks at him between amusement and surprise.

“Arthur , hi... sorry about this, she is just so clumsy sometimes.”

Gwaine is taking the girl by her shoulder and nodding at her shocked face. “this is Elena, my fiancée”

Arthur is almost chokes in his own split when he hears the words coming out of Gwaine’s mouth. His eyebrows rise quickly when he sees the proud smile Gwaine shoots at him, the hold he has in her shoulder tightening for a moment before it turns to a caress along her arm.

Arthur takes a look at the girl again to check her out, still without believing what he heard when she chirps in “i will pay for that, I promise.” She points at his jacket, and for a moment there Arthur almost forgot why they are standing in the sidewalk like this, blocking half the way and earning annoyed glances from the passerbys.

“no, it’s okay.”

“but...”

“no, it’s okay. You don’t have to.” Arthur glances hesistantly at Gwaine and wills himself not to glare at the man, because it is like the glare is already in auto whenever Gwaine is in his range.

“soo... fiancée?”

“yeah, she was in a long trip when i moved, thats why she has never been around before, she was on a long trip all the time. But now she is going to stick aroud long enough to plan our wedding.” Gwaine is beaming at Elena, while she just look more bashful and blushes furiously by Gwaine attention. “El, this is Arthur, he is our next door neighbour.”

“oh... the one with the cute kid and beautiful partner?”

“yeah, that one.”

“oh.” Arthur really doesn’t have anything else to say to that. “umm...”

“oh, Arthur, can I borrow Merlin for a few hours next week? He promised to help with coosing the wedding cake. I know you don’t really like it when i spend time with Merlin, but this is kinda important you know? And me and Elena are not really good with sweets... so”

“oh... ah... yea, sure. Just.. just talk it out with Merlin. Just... yeah, sure.” He knows he is stuttering, but he really doesn’t know what to do when Gwaine is beaming at him like that, Arthur’s eyebrows rise when he remembers how Gwaine is always using that ~~leer~~ -beaming smile at Merlin.

“great. Okay then, see you around Arthur.” Gwaine waves at him and steers his fiancée in the opposite direction of him, with Elena still glancing worriedly at his ruined suit jacket.

“sorry about that.” She mouths, Arthur stills for a few second before he laugs at their retreating back.

Okay, maybe, just maybe.... he was wrong in his first impression about his neighbour. Now that Arthur thinks about it again, Gwaine probably is a pretty decent guy.

===

Arthur is pretending he hasn’t seen the intense stare his friend is shooting at him, he keeps pretending he is playing with his phone. The house is quiet this late at night, James is probably already asleep across the hall. Acros from him, Merlin is sitting in the plush chair they keep in the bedroom, his laptop open in his lap, but his friend’s attention is all onto him.

Merlin’s eyes narrow for a moment before he sighs and abandones his laptop to aproach Arthur. He nudges Arthur a litle to make room for himself in the bed and to get Arthur’s attention. Making sure Arthur doesn’t have any choice but to look at his friend.

“you know... i have been wondering this for weeks...”

“what is it?”

Merlin looks hard at him again before he pinches Arthur hand in his lap.

“you have been hostile towards Gwaine.”

Arthur raises his eyebrows, but he doesn’t say anything, he is somehow feeling guilty for misjudging his neighbour. But he really didn’t mean anything bad about it, he is just maybe a litle bit overprotective about his family, and seeing that Gwaine can befriend his closest friend and his son in such a sort amout of time made him feel this ugly feeling inside of him.

“well… about that...” Arthur sighs, it’s not easy to explain. If he tells Merlin the truth his friend is going to call him all the silly names he knows and Arthur really doesn’t feel like it. so...

“don’t you dare to lie, Arthur Pendragon, I will know it.” Arthur just sighs once more at his friend’s sharp gaze.

“I... maybe we started with the wrong foot, and i don’t have the best impression on Gwaine. But I promise you, it’s not going to continue. We are okay now, I promise.”

Arthur looks at Merlin pleadingly and his friend just raises his eyebrows at him for a moment before Merlin is sighing in defeat too.

“okay, I believe you. But whatever bad impression he made to you and whatever hostile feelings you have toward him, it is all done now, right? You are done with it.”

“yes.”

“good, because Gwaine is such a great guy, and Jamie likes him a lot. I always feel bad whenever you are being mean at him.”

“okay, I will be good from now on.” Merlin looks at him for a moment before he nods once and sighs.

“okay, lets sleep then, it’s late.”

Merlin dims the light before tucking himself into Arthur’s side and making himself comfortable there. Arthur just smiles at his friend, and pulls the comforter around them, pulling his friend closer in the proses.

Arthur kises Merlin head once and, sighing in content, shut his eyes.

“good night Mer..”

“good night, Arthur.”

===


End file.
